Modern automation typically consists of distributed systems that are often quite complex. This creates an additional burden on system engineers who must change production processes to meet ever changing manufacturing guidelines. These changing guidelines are frequently caused by rapid changes in markets that make great demands on the flexibility of the manufacturing systems. In these situations, progressive automation helps to further improve productivity, while preserving reliability and product quality. But the automation evolution continuously requires more logic and processing capabilities from production lines. The control systems, therefore, must also continuously grow in size and complexity. To keep the designs flexible and manageable, the intelligence is often distributed into so-called smart devices, for example, directly into sensors and actuators.
Distributed systems allow controlling algorithms to be split into ever smaller and simpler parts, with components that can be inexpensively reused for other tasks. Sensor data can now be processed within the smart devices themselves instead of transferring it to a central controlling unit. This may also help reduce real-time communications between the automation devices, allowing further advancements in the automation processes. But, the ever increasing complexity of distributed automation also increases the level of sophistication required to configure the processes, often beyond the capabilities of lesser skilled operators and requiring complex and expensive control software.